This book tackles an ambitious piece of Russian history: the near century of imperial rule leading up to the 1917 Russian Revolution. The reigns of tsars Nicholas I, Alexander II, Alexander III, and Nicholas II are covered. The focus is on the political outlook and policies of each ruler are discussed, giving the reader a sense of how Russia responded to reforms, repressions, and everything in between. I am not certain I can concur with the author's conclusions about the Russian people, the autocratic system, and why reform was so difficult, but I hope to find more extensive and updated research on this topic in other sources. Overall, this book made for an interesting read on why the Romanov dynasty collapsed, although it did make for dense reading at times (as one might expect when condensing so much history into less than 400 pages). ( )

There was no proper drop, only stools to be kicked away, and the stools were too low for a quick kill.

A friend of mine worked at University and saw a stack of copies being remaindered; he purchased these for our literature club (samizdat) and I duly devoured it. Crankshaw may appear to be a determinist per the Saga Rus but it is more nuanced than such. This is a remarkable text. ( )

A good basic outline of the page to revolution in Russia. ( )

2323 The Shadow of the Winter Palace: Russia's Drift to Revolution 1825-1917, by Edward Crankshaw (read 8 Sep 1990) I thought this 1976 book well-done and unfailingly interesting. It starts with the fantastic events surrounding Nicholas I's succession to the throne in December 1825--he was a brother of Alexander I. The author has not very much good to say about any Russian czar--and I suppose he is hardest of all on Nicholas II. It is a fantastic story and is really stranger than fiction. Crankshaw spends some time on 19rh century authors and musicians--he has written a book on Tolstoy and Conrad. Russian history is full of interest for me and I am glad I read this book. ( )